BRS suspends former Lok Sabha member, ex-minister from party

NEW DELHI: The ruling BRS in Telangana on Monday suspended former MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and former minister Jupally Krishna Rao from the party for alleged anti-party activities.

The two leaders have been suspended following the orders of party president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, a BRS release said. Srinivas Reddy is a former Lok Sabha member from Khammam while Krishna Rao, a former minister, had lost the Assembly elections in 2018.

The two leaders, whose relations with the BRS leadership soured for some time now, have also made critical comments against the party earlier. Srinivas Reddy, who held a meeting with his supporters at Kothagudem in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district on April 9, alleged family rule by the Chief Minister.

He also claimed that the latter’s wish to score a hat-trick by winning Assembly elections to be held later this year would remain a pipe dream. Krishna Rao attended the meeting organised by Srinivas Reddy and expressed solidarity. He reportedly said that KCR is inaccessible even to public representatives, besides lacking in honesty.

Citing the comment of a district unit leader at Khammam that he was not a member of the party, Reddy today questioned then how he can be suspended from the organisation.

Krishna Rao alleged that he was suspended without the BRS answering to the points he had raised. Meanwhile, State Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy said the party cannot accept if some individuals try to hurt the organisation because what they wanted did not happen. It cannot be tolerated if any leaders behave as if they are above the party, he said while referring to the suspension of the two leaders.

Source: Press Trust of India